Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts

Monday, December 30, 2013

Come Monday...Soccer, Anyone?

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of (or commentary about) websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).


Okay, I am not quite that depressed, but after watching my beloved [Dallas Cowboys] perfecting the art of mediocrity for another season, switching over to being a soccer fan does not sound so ridiculous.  After all, the only expectations that a soccer fan can realistically have per match are for their team to not lose by more than one goal and look fashionable as they frolic on the pitch in short pants for 90 minutes (not counting extra-time, of course).

No, I really don’t want to get into how far too many on the Cowboys roster would rather not play hard when they don’t have to, and from the looks of things, they rarely have to.  For they keep receiving game checks of hundreds of thousands of dollars while trying to keep their uniforms looking spiffy.

Oh, and then there are the mean ones, who seem to only be interested in hurting someone.  Time after time, they can be observed going for the big hit when a properly executed form tackle on defense (or block on offense) would get the job done in a much more effective way.

Does this not come back on the coaches?  For they keep putting those players out on the field.

In all fairness, much of the lack-luster play may have more to do with the game plans than anything else.  For it has to be so disheartening to keep playing their guts out while trying to execute plays that have little chance of working.

Yeah, having incompetent coaches has to come back on upper-level management.  For they keep those coaches in place.  Furthermore, upper-level management also cut the game checks—right?

Last night’s game against the [Philadelphia Eagles] had everything that has been wrong with the Cowboys for the past 10 years on full display in high definition during prime time.  For the Cowboys were forced to start the back-up quarterback, [Kyle Orton], on account of the starter, [Tony Romo], being out with a serious back injury.  So, one would think that they would be seeking to run the ball as much as possible since the timing on pass plays would most likely be off, and with [DeMarco Murray] starting to really shine as a star running back in the league, having to run the ball more should not have been all that much of a bad thing.

What did the Cowboys actually do?  They ran Murray pretty good in the first half, and then almost completely abandoned the run game in the second half.  This was in favor of Orton consistently being wildly off-target with his passes.

Orton’s last pass erased all doubt concerning incompetence.  For it was at least a yard behind [Miles Austin], which resulted in a [game-ending interception].

Yeah, it can be argued that it is easy to be so critical while watching the game on television, but Orton is getting paid [over $3 million a year].  Whereas, I am not getting paid diddly-squat to dispense these invaluable observations.

On the other hand, an 8-8 record is not a losing season.  In fact, it is perfectly mediocre.  Go [Broncos]!

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Monday, February 4, 2013

Come Monday...Arlynda's Super Bowl Parties

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).


My longsuffering wife, Arlynda, was not necessarily a football fan before we were married.  Oh, she would be glad to hear of the [Cabool Bulldogs] and/or the [Missouri Tigers] winning, but she had little desire to actually watch a game.  Hence, one of the reasons why the efforts that she has made the past several years to watch the [Super Bowl] with me are so special.

No, the parties that she puts on are nothing spectacular—certainly not in comparison to some.  For she will usually just fix [nachos] and a few other things like that, but it is amazing just how good it all tastes while watching her become so involved in the game.

It could be argued that she had an added vested interest in the game that was played yesterday evening.  For [The Blind Side] is one of her all-time favorite movies, and [Michael Oher] is a starting offensive lineman for the [Baltimore Ravens].

Oh my, there was something for just about everyone to Super Bowl XLVII—with not the least of these involving the head coaches for both teams.  For [John Harbaugh] is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and his younger brother, [Jim], is the head coach of the [San Francisco 49ers].

To be quite honest about it, I do not like Jim Harbaugh much at all.  For he appears to be a jerk in a number of ways, and putting icing on that cake is the fact that he appears to not care a thing about what others think of him.

In all fairness, Jim has done an amazing job of molding the 49ers into a truly great team—with [Vernon Davis] serving as a prime example of that.  For he caught a lot of passes for a lot of yards yesterday evening, and it was just five years ago when he was in danger of being [released] by the team for a number of reasons.

Speaking of stories of redemption, [Ray Lewis], of the Baltimore Ravens, was facing [murder charges] after two men were stabbed to death at a Super Bowl XXXIV party in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000.  Since then, he has become one of the most highly respected (beloved?) players in the game, and the announcement of his retirement after this season was completed surely had much to do with the Baltimore Ravens winning it all—much to the delight of my beloved wife.

Regardless of who wins or loses, I always win when Arlynda throws a Super Bowl party for us.  Of course, that will most definitely not be the case if my beloved [Cowboys] find themselves on the losing end someday, but since they have been doing everything they can to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory lately, it is not looking like I have any reason to be concerned about them even making it that far for several years to come.

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Monday, August 20, 2012

Come Monday...NFL Gaiety

Methinks the powers that be at the [NFL] are trying a little too hard to broaden the appeal of the game to an alternative demographic.  Of course, they might say that I wouldn’t know serious fun if it sashayed up and gave me a good slap on the buttocks.



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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Trib Updates



This is a weekly series that will include a brief summary of the latest articles that have been published on The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter.  Hopefully, this will encourage you to go check out some truly outstanding articles that have been published by a number of truly outstanding authors.  Moreover, I hope this will also encourage you to want to become a contributing member/author, as well.  The “Hear Ye!  Hear Ye!” site explanation near the top of the side-bar should answer many of your questions.  Yes, this series also included an “SOS! (Spam On Saturdays)”  segment before, but it just wasn’t working for me.  Therefore, that will be replaced by a republishing of one of the Trib articles.

[WhiteHeart Wednesday] has a video and the lyrics for Black Is White.

[Witty Banter Should Be Witty] contains another rant about the quality of local newscasts in the Springfield, Missouri.

[Politics in Connecticut] is from G.D. Dooley with a question about how one can tell when a candidate truly has a heart for God.


No, this is not about the city being [the mistake by the lake].  For those days are gone.

Nonetheless, the misery still continues for the fans of at least two out of three major sports franchises located in [Cleveland], and it is arguable that it is just as bad for the fans of the [Cleveland Indians].  For it has been many a moon since the last time they won the [World Series], but they did play in three during the [90s].

Alas, the fans of the [Cleveland Cavaliers] and the [Cleveland Browns] have even less to cheer about, which I place most of the blame squarely on the management of the teams.  For the Cavaliers are owned by [Dan Gilbert], who acts like he truly [owns] his players, which is reflected in their play.

Now comes the news that the Cleveland Browns have been bought by [Jimmy Haslim], who is a very enthusiastic [Pittsburgh Steelers] fan, which would be like a diehard fan of the [Dallas Cowboys] buying the [Washington Redskins], and it will surely lead to even greater depths of mediocrity for the Browns.  For every move that Haslim could make to improve the Browns would eventually hurt his beloved Steelers—especially with them playing in the same conference division.

No, nothing personal—just business cannot be used to explain this away.  For owning a professional sports franchise has to more than just a business decision or you will wind up with a team like the...well…the Browns were, which I would think that the NFL would want to guard against at all costs for the good of the entire league.

Of course, maybe Haslim can keep his heart separated from his head without making too much of a mess out of things?  For he is currently the CEO of [Flying J], which is in direct competition with [Pilot], which is the company that his father founded.

No, I am not buying it, and it makes me a little angry to even be given the choice to.  For back during the early days of my over-the-road trucking career, a wonderful group of diehard Browns fans adopted me for a couple of days while a [lake-effect snow storm] shut down all travel in northeastern Ohio, and ever since, I have had a soft-spot for them.  Not enough to have me cheering for the Browns over my beloved Cowboys, of course, but one has to respect the devotion of someone who would stand in line while being covered by freezing rain just to buy a ticket to go see a team that was more than likely going to lose the game and [break] the hearts of their fans in the process.

Hey, maybe Haslim buying the Browns might actually be a good thing?  For it might not be long before the Browns are so obviously bad that there won’t be any expectations of them ever winning a game.  Hence, no more gut-wrenching losses!

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Monday, January 2, 2012

Come Monday...COWBOYS SUCK!!!


“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

Just in case you cannot tell from the image, I am referring to my beloved [Dallas Cowboys]—not cowboys in general.  For not only did they fail to make the NFL playoffs again, they managed to do so by getting humiliated by the hated (so to speak) [New York Football Giants] on [Sunday Night Football], 31-14.

No, that is not quite right.  For most of the players on the current Cowboys roster don’t have enough sense to be humiliated—starting with [Rob Ryan], the defensive coordinator.

Oh yeah, this was another season where expectations were sky-high.  For with the addition of Rob Ryan to the staff, the Cowboys defense would surely rival the offense as being the real reason for another glorious [Super Bowl] victory.

Do you not find it curious that after [Jerry Jones] fired [Wade Phillips] as the head coach of the Cowboys around the middle of last season, he became the defensive coordinator of the [Houston Texans], and the Texans ended the regular season with the [second highest rated defense] in the entire league?  I do.

Hey, wasn’t the Cowboys’ Ryan supposed to be a defensive genius?  Quite obviously, he really can “talk” as good of a game as his [brother] and [father], despite being the quiet one of the three.

Alas, I suppose I should be grateful.  For the agony has ended much sooner than later, and I can now honestly cheer for the [Green Bay Packers] to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Talk about a class act.  They are, with a great sense-of-humor, as well.


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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Trib Updates


This is a weekly series that will include a brief summary of the latest articles that have been published on The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter.  Hopefully, this will encourage you to go check out some truly outstanding articles that have been published by a number of truly outstanding authors.  Moreover, I hope this will also encourage you to want to become a contributing member/author, as well.  The “Hear Ye!  Hear Ye!” site explanation near the top of the side-bar should answer many of your questions.  Yes, this series also included an “SOS! (Spam On Saturdays)”  segment before, but it just wasn’t working for me.  Therefore, that will be replaced by a republishing of one of the Trib articles.

[Lavender Being Washed Out] contains some information on what Lavender Darwin is being tortured with.

[Day 34] is from Squinty Whistles, who is a new contributing author to The Trib.

[Day 57] provides us with as much information on where Squinty is going with this as Day 34 did.

[Day 62] makes as much sense as Day 34 and Day 57 did.

[Free Lavender Darwin!!!] shows that his legal team is running out of funds.

[Day 102] provides us with no more help than Day 34, Day 57 and Day 62 did.


If you are not a fan of the [NFL], nor college football, nor caught an occasional sports segment on your local news broadcast, nor pay any attention to the comings and goings in the American Christian community, you may have never heard of [Tim Tebow].  To get you up to speed, he is the current starting quarterback for the [Denver Broncos].  Before that, he was the starting quarterback for the [Florida Gators], where he was part of two national championship teams.

He also won the [Heisman Trophy] while at Florida, and the following video helps to clarify why I find him so troubling.


No, he is not a fake.  That is, at least not in regards to him truly being the epitome of what is generally considered to be a Christian in the eyes of the Christian community, but there is a BIG difference between merely having a semblance of knowledge about Christ Jesus and actually knowing Him in a very close and personal way.


Yes, it matters, and he has been given a perfect opportunity to help as many as will to see that our Heavenly Father really is actively involved in our daily lives.  For it is minor miracle every time he completes a pass.

You see, Tim is really awful at throwing the ball most of the time.  In fact, he is so bad, the Denver Broncos have had to almost completely revamp their offense to accommodate his limitations.

Why would they go to so much trouble?  Well, he has proven to be a fairly consistent winner in NFL so far, and it would be most foolish of the Denver Broncos management to cut off their nose to spite their face (so to speak) by refusing to put him behind center.

Honestly, we are witnessing another David vs. Goliath situation here with Tim in the NFL.  For there is no way that he should be having so much success against the defensive schemes he has been facing, and if he had any sort of close and personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, he would be the first to make that clear.

Instead, he talks about God having a plan for his life, and that he doesn’t pay any attention to what others say about him, which is consistent with what has been so widely taught.  For far too many have been led to believe that our Heavenly Father couldn’t care less about what we think of Him and His righteousness while the absolute truth of the matter is exactly the opposite.  Granted, our opinions will not move Him to change His plans, but it grieves Him deeply that most do not understand, nor really want to.

Oh, but people are starting to notice, anyway.  For I heard several sports commentators asking if we might be witnessing a higher power at work through Tim, and he has had nothing to say about that so far.

Of course, if Tim really doesn’t pay any attention to what others are saying, he would miss things like that.  May he come out of the shadows of Spiritual ignorance before it is too late.

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Monday, August 1, 2011

Come Monday...Dan Patrick

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).


Back while I was still trucking coast-to-coast, one of the highlights of my day was catching a broadcast of [The Dan Patrick Show] on [ESPN Radio].  For he sounded like a man’s man, who could joke around about different sporting events and players without getting too silly, as well as get serious when it was warranted.


The opening to that SportsCenter serves as a good example.  For that’s Dan doing the monologue.

Yes, that was [Keith Olbermann] sitting next to him, and they made quite a team until Olbermann started suffering from delusions of grandeur.  In fact, many would argue that they, along with [Chris Berman], were the main reasons why ESPN rose to the top of the sports programming world as quickly as it did, but since Dan and Keith are no longer with ESPN, I don’t think any of the network’s executives would be counted amongst them.  Well, at least not publicly.

Patrick now has his own syndicated sports show, which can be caught on both radio and TV.  It comes on at 8 AM (CDST) on [FoxSports Net Midwest], which is what I watch when I can, and it is a running joke on the show that The Mother Ship (ESPN) is bound and determined to see him fail.  Despite several statements to the contrary from both sides, since ESPN will not allow their personnel to be guests on his show, Dan may have a point.  After all, other networks, such as Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated and The NFL Network don’t seem to have a problem with their people coming by on a regular basis.

I don’t know if it is me or him, but I don’t seem to enjoy the show as much as I did.  Much of this has to do with the interaction between Dan and [The Danetts], who make up his on-air staff.  For much of it is plumb silly, and 2-3 times per show, it rapidly descends into practiced stupidity.  Yes, I well aware of how old and decrepit I am getting.

Nonetheless, The Dan Patrick Show is still well worth watching on TV or listening to over the radio—especially with the NFL being back in business!  Oh yeah, I am so ready for some football.

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Monday, July 11, 2011

Come Monday...The End Has To Be Near

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).


Yep, the end of this world (at least as we know it) has to be near. For I generally loathe soccer, and yet, there I sat in front of the TV (slightly to the right side of it, actually) while my wife and her mother were at church (along with shopping, which is part of their regular Sunday ritual) absolutely transfixed on the action (and non-action, as it were) taking place in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match between the [USA and Brazil].

Wait at minute… Watching a women’s soccer match while my wife and her mother were at church… Maybe the devil really did make me do it?



No, it didn’t hurt a bit that our goalie is [Hans Solo’s] daughter. Yeah, [Hope Solo’s] biography has her being from [Richland, WA], but is it just a coincidence that the first Star Wars movie produced was named, A New HOPE? I don’t think so, and don’t think that her being a stone-cold fox as anything to do with my interest. For I hardly noticed.

Anyway, the match had everything that I have come to love (heavy emphasis upon sarcasm here) about the game of soccer. For there was plenty of playing footsy in the middle of the field, with the occasional missed shot on goal from pointblank range. There was even an obvious fake injury meant to waste time by the Brazilians near the end of extra, extra, extra time.

Alas, I suppose I really do owe an apology or two to [Adullamite] and [Ryan] for giving them so much grief over being such rabid soccer fans. I will still reserve the right to call the game soccer—certainly not football. No, never [football].

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